South Africa's Western Cape Rugby League Association has been formally recognised, becoming a member of the Western Cape Sports Council .

"We are excited to have WP Rugby League as part of our membership," Elton Davids of the Western Cape Sports Council commented. "Sports Council's are duty bound to acknowledge various codes, recognize their positive role in society while contributing to making this an active and winning nation."

The Western Cape has a rich rugby league history having hosted Russia as well as the Brisbane Broncos in the past and having a vibrant club structure that plays regular games.

"This is an important step in the path for SARL to get recognition from SASCOC, and the Western Cape Rugby League Association is proud to be the first province to get accreditation," said Denzil Watson, Chairmen of WPRLA. "The sport has grown in leaps and bounds in the Western Cape and provides players from all walks of life to meet on the field and compete."

Several students from the WPRLA have been selected for the national team participating in the 2013 Rugby League Student World Cup in Yorkshire in July.

Kobus Botha, President of SARL, claimed this was a "significant milestone" for the sport in the country adding, "SARL is busy working closely with all the provincial sporting associations to get recognition. Although played internationally at the highest level, and being one of the oldest professional sporting codes in the world, rugby league has been facing stiff political opposition to getting recognized by the South African Sports Commonwealth and Olympic Committee."

I think that this is more a case of ignorance than prejudice. AND the fact that the international rugby league authorities haven't done the hard and necessary work in the past to get the game recognised by the international sporting community.

There is a body called SportAccord (was the General Association of International Sports Federations) that acts as a kind of umbrella body for sports, both Olympic and non-Olympic. Membership of this body, which does have certain minimum standards a sport has to meet, gives a sport instant credibility in situations like the one you've linked to. It also gives the sport's international federation, and all it's associated national federations, official recognition as the governing bodies of the sport. I do know that some senior figures from the ARL/NRL had a meeting with GAISF about a membership application. They were told how to go about it, the standards of governance the RLIF would have to meet and were sent away. AFAIK nothing further has happened.

Just imagine you are the sports minister, or more likely a senior civil servant, in a government like South Africa's. You get a request for official government recognition from a group claiming to be the governing body of a sport called rugby league. Your first step will be to look at the membership list of SportAccord; listed will be rugby - is this the sport, because there is no sport listed with the name rugby league? That is where the South African ministry is coming from. You play a form of rugby, affiliate to SARU. Otherwise you must be a breakaway body, which we don't recognise.

Rugby league in Ireland had a similar problem for many years when they tried to affiliate to the Sports Council in Ireland. According to one source I've read they were once told that the IRFU was the governing body for all forms of rugby in Ireland, and to apply to them.

Anyway, the other thread on this forum states that the Western Cape RL has received official recognition, so hopefully things can progress.

"There are now more Trident submarines based in Scotland than there are MPs to vote for them."

On the back of Western Cape formally recognising rugby league, Gauteng Rugby
League Association has become a member of the Gauteng Sports Council.
It is part of the continuing process SARL is currently following to obtain official
recognition for the sport in South Africa.
Barry Hendricks, President of Gauteng Sports Council, said, "It give us great
pleasure to inform South African Rugby League that their regional organization's
application for membership to the Gauteng Sports Council has been unanimously
accepted by our members at the Annual General Meeting. We look forward to working
with them to grow the sport of rugby league in the province of Gauteng, not only in
the major cities of Johannesburg and Tshwane but also in the other areas of the
province."

Aye, some high altitude stuff. I think the plan is to do the same again.

Even if it's just getting some of the locals involved in a couple of the sessions, would be good

Exactly, help in spreading the gospel. Also am I imaging this but I seem to remember phil Clarke doing some work in the townships in south Africa with support and funding from Richard Wilson(victor meldrew)?

Exactly, help in spreading the gospel. Also am I imaging this but I seem to remember phil Clarke doing some work in the townships in south Africa with support and funding from Richard Wilson(victor meldrew)?

I remember Phil Clarke going to SA to help Dave Southern who was running a youth program at the time. Found this report from 1995:-

Exactly, help in spreading the gospel. Also am I imaging this but I seem to remember phil Clarke doing some work in the townships in south Africa with support and funding from Richard Wilson(victor meldrew)?

South Africa Rugby League have announced that the New South Wales Country League will tour there in October 2013.
The visitors will land on 9th October and play two games, against a Combined Clubs select and the national side.
The match against the Rhinos will form part of a showcase day which will include the SARL Students facing an invitational side and, in a new development, the SARL Masters coming up against an Invitational Sables.
The Sables is an initiative to promote the game to ex‐league players and the multitude of internationals principally from Australia, England, Scotland and the Pacific Islands who were denied the chance to play against South Africa in the 1980s and ‘90s because the sport was banned in the country, and lifted after 1994’s historic democratic elections.
While there, the New South Wales squad will be travelling to schools to promote the sport in conjunction with the Gauteng Sports Council.
Kobus Botha, President of SARL, commented, “Rugby league has been through a transformation in the past few years and tours such as this show what we are capable of.”
“Our students are participating in the forthcoming Student Rugby League World Cup and South Africa is in the running for the rights to host the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, which are significant milestones here.”
He added, “Other tours are being planned for the next 18 months and this will bring significant growth to the sport.”
Terry Quinn, Chief Executive Officer of the Country Rugby League of NSW commented, “We are looking forward to bringing the best of the Country NSW to South Africa to showcase the game.”
“All the players eligible are very excited about the groundbreaking concept and can only see the benefits it will bring in South Africa.”
For more information, contact Chris Botes on chris@maxxiumsport.co.za